Rescuer Tears Up After Monkey Saved 4 Years Ago Recognizes Him

A spider monkey's touching reunion with a rescue worker after over two years apart has been captured in Bolivia.

The incredible moment was recorded in a viral TikTok video shared by Casey Cooper (@cooperlost on TikTok). The clip was taken in December at a re-wilding sanctuary in Bolivia. Cooper is a rescue worker and photographer for the ONCA wildlife sanctuary (@oncaorg), which rescued Mikah, the black spider monkey in the latest video.

The footage shows Mikah, who was a victim of illegal wildlife trade before being rescued by the sanctuary, approaching Cooper in a forest setting and giving him a hug.

"I was there during the rescue process and have been a big part of Mikah's journey," Cooper told Newsweek, so he was "very excited to see Mikah and a few other monkeys I spent so much time working with two years prior."

The rescue worker noted: "I didn't know if two years was too long for her and the others to remember me. Monkeys are highly intelligent beings, so I figured she would, but I didn't know if her and the others would still be comfortable being near me.

"But sure enough when I saw her, she made her way down from the tree and walked up to me to give me a very warm welcome and show off her pregnant belly," Cooper said.

The photographer said it's important to note that "interactions with wildlife like this should not happen" and "wild animals should be left alone."

"This is a unique circumstance since I was a part of her journey of re-wildling," Cooper noted. "Monkeys should never be pets."

Black-faced black spider monkeys, which belong to the genus Ateles, are an endangered species found in northeast Peru, northern Bolivia and the western Amazon rainforest in Brazil, living primarily in lowland forests and a range of other habitats, says the New England Primate Conservancy (NEPC), an animal protection and wildlife conservation organization based in Massachusetts.

Threatened by hunting and habitat loss, their population is estimated to have declined by at least 50 percent over the past 45 years, according to the NEPC.

A January 2008 study from Spider Monkeys: Behavior, Ecology and Evolution of the Genus Ateles, said "hunting has been shown to affect Ateles population densities." Citing previous research from 2000, the study noted that a survey of "hunting levels and population densities of several primate species in 45 sites in Brazilian Amazonia found that densities of Ateles spp. were 83 percent lower in heavily hunted sites than in sites with lower hunting pressure."

Estimates have shown that the illegal wildlife trade is "worth billions of dollars annually and affects most major taxonomic groups," noted a February 2021 study in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The study, which looked at trade-driven declines in mammals, birds and reptiles, found that "overall, species declined in abundance by 62 percent where trade occurs." The study showed that "reductions involving national or international trade were greatest," driving declines of 76 percent and 66 percent, respectively.

A 'Very Emotional' Reunion

Cooper has been working with ONCA for about three years "whenever I have free time," he said. As a wildlife photographer, he also helps document the animals at the sanctuary and capture moments he feels are important to showcase the work that ONCA does.

Mikah was rescued four years ago by ONCA, where she spent two years "learning how to socialize with other animals and fend for herself in the wild," according to a caption shared with the post.

Cooper told Newsweek: "My first encounter with Mikah was unique. She didn't know who I was, so she stared at me for a bit before coming to get a closer look.

"I think she could sense I was nervous but quickly eased my nerves when she came up to me and gave me a neck hug. I was attached immediately and knew I had to do everything in my power to help her and her species in the Amazon," he added.

Cooper's reunion with Mikah was "very emotional" for him because she "had no social skills with other monkeys when she first arrived at the sanctuary...living in a cage in a tiny apartment with none of her kind" as a victim of the wildlife trade.

So he was pleased to discover that Mikah was now "an alpha female and completely free to roam where she pleases. I teared up because I was so relieved that she was happy and a contributing member of the wild troop now."

The rescue worker strongly warned against "assuming that spider monkeys would make great pets, which is not the case," noting that "through my years of working with wild animals like Mikah, I have been attacked numerous times. They're never meant to live a tame life inside of a cage without their species."

The photographer strongly warned against "assuming that spider monkeys would make great pets, which is not the case," noting that "through my years of working with wild animals like Mikah, I have been attacked numerous times. They're never meant to live a tame life inside of a cage without their species."

Cooper noted that he's "only a small piece of the project," explaining there are workers like his friend Andres who has been living at the sanctuary saving animals and re-wilding them for over 15 years, "giving his personal life up to help animals who don't have a voice."

The rescue worker said: "It's been such a blessing being able to see animals that honestly don't seem like they have a chance end up making it in the wild. In all honesty it's like seeing a drug addict pull their lives together and make something of themselves. All these animals needed was someone who believed in them. I personally connect so well with these animals because I was a drug addict alcoholic that went to rehab. Their journey reminds me so much of mine.

"I want people to see this video and be inspired to work in reputable sanctuaries. You don't have to have a degree in wildlife biology or animal behavior to make a difference for animals like these," he added.

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